Brittney Griner has been detained in a Russian jail since February after being caught with hashish oil in a vape cartridge at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.
That is clearly against the law. Griner now says she “accidentally” had the contraband.
That doesn’t matter. She admits that she had it and she plead guilty, facing up to ten years in prison. That’s a long sentence, but actions have consequences.
Much to the consternation of Griner’s allies, President Joe Biden has thus far refused to intervene and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to release the WNBA star.
NBA superstar LeBron James is now weighing in. “How can she feel like America has her back,” James said on his HBO show. “I would be feeling like, ‘why would I even want to go back to America?”
With that statement, James is not only criticizing the way the U.S. has handled the Griner situation, but he believes she might be better off not coming home to America.
I don’t agree with LeBron James on much but we agree on that point. Maybe Griner shouldn’t come back to the United States. Are we really worse off as a nation if she never comes back to U.S. soil? We just might be, depending on the circumstances.
What does LeBron think we should be doing to free Griner? Trade her for international arms dealer Viktor Bout like Putin wants? Put the rest of the world in jeopardy so an overpaid basketball player-who admits she broke the law while chasing a paycheck in Russia-can come back to the United States?
Maybe Griner will take James’ advice and stay overseas. She isn’t exactly an American patriot. She lobbied for the removal of the National Anthem at WNBA games. If things are so terrible here than stay where you are. Just stay there!
For LeBron to advocate for someone else to stay out of the U.S. because of how poorly they have been treated is rich. Lebron has made more than a billion dollars because of his opportunities in America. That’s right. He is one of only three American athletes to be billionaires.
Where did he get those chances? I remember now, the United States of America. Must be easy to cheer for someone else to stay in Russia, while you continue to churn the cash register here in America.
Let’s hope the White House is not really taking the thoughts of trading Griner for Bout seriously. That thought is embarrassing. That idea is ridiculous. That thought is dangerous. It is literally dangerous from both a practical standpoint and for the precedent it sets. The thought of giving special treatment to a highly paid basketball player who decided to get stoned in a repressive, dictator state is ludicrous.